Ferry boat hook

A boat hook probably from the Meikle Ferry near Dornoch. In the past ferries were the only way that people had to cross the many stetches of water which occur along the East coast of the Highlands. They were therefore a vital transport link between settlements. Ferries took people and animals to markets, brought the mail in the 19th century and saved many miles of journeying. This ferry was in operation right up until 1957 and used to ferry passengers across the Dornoch Firth.